Know that Your Locksmith Is Licensed

Locks play an important part in your real estate business. Leave one unlocked or needing repair so that it can lock and you could, pun intended, open the door to a lot of trouble.

To be certain that locks play a positive role in your business, secure the services of a licensed locksmith.

Since 2001, North Carolina has required that all locksmiths be licensed through written examination and background investigation. Every license renewal includes a criminal background check and requires the completion of 24 hours of continuing education.

In recent years, scam locksmith operations have emerged; appearing legitimate in the local phone directory and on the Internet, they are not in practice. When closing on a property, provide a list of licensed locksmiths for your client and recommend that the locks be changed. When managing a listing or rental property, report any problems with locks to the owners as soon as they are discovered.

For more information on locksmiths, visit the North Carolina Locksmith Board at www.nclocksmithboard.org.

This article came from the Feburary 2012-Vol42-3 edition of the bulletin.